Valve for hydraulic presses



2 Sheets-Sheet l.`

l Patented July Y24, 1888.

. (No Model.)

L. MILLER..

VALVE EOE. HYDRAULIC PRESSES.

. ilk

l Sheets-Sheet 2. L. MILLER.

Patented July Z4, 1888.

(No Model.)

VALVE EUR HYDRAULIC PRESSES.

. W'ITNESSES Nrrn STATES LEIVIS MILLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

VALVE FOR HYDRAULIC PRESSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 386,647, date-d July 24, 1888.

Application Iiled April l2, 1888.

T0 @ZZ whom it muy concern:

Be it k nown that I, LEWIS MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Hydraulic Presses, of which the following is a specifica tion, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in hydraulic presses of that type or class described in Patent No. 367,220, issued to me on the 26th day of July, 1887, wherein the lower platen is operated by means of pistons working in vertical pressingcylinders erected upon a stationary upper platen, the pressing-liquid being conducted to the several pressing-cylinders through a conduit which eneircles and is common to all of them.

The especial object of this invention is to provide a hydraulic press employing a number of pressingcylinders with reciprocating valves adapted to work in the conduit supplying the pressing-liquid, one valve being employed for each cylinder, whereby any one of the pressing-cylinders may be readily shut off from communication with the main conduit whenever desired without stopping the operation of the press, as will more vl'ully hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents aplan view of an eight-cylinder press of the characterillustrated in my patent above mentioned, the main conduit and the pressing-cylinders simply being shown; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional view ol' a portion of the main conduit and one ofthe adjacent cyl inders, communication therewith being shut off by my improved valve; Fig. 3, a similar view with the valve drawn back to permit the free access ofthe pressing-liquid to the cylinder; Fig. 4, a detail vertical sectional View of the main conduit, taken through one of the valves therein; Fig. 5, a detail sectional View of the bushing and packing-ring, the latter being inserted in the recess in the bushing; and Fig. 6, a similar View with the ports sep` arated from each other.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the pressingcylinders, to which are securely bolted the main conduit B for the Serial No. 270,472. (No model.)

pressingliquid, the main conduit in this instance encircling the cylinders and communieating therewith by means of the horizontal independent passages c. In the press shown in the annexed drawings eight prcssingcylixr ders are employed; but it is evident that a greater or less number of cylinders may be used. The pressing-fluid is supplied to the conduit through the pipe C, which communi- Cates with the forcingpump and ram used for filling the cylinders. To each one ofthe horizontal passages a, which establish communication with the pressing-cylinders, I apply 011e of my improved horizontallyworking valves D, which operates in an enlarged chamber, b, formed in the conduit, whereby the pressing-liquid will not be obstructed in its passage through the conduit.

rIhe valve D is provided with adouble-beveled head, E, which, when the valve is closed, tits closely upon a beveled seat at the outer terminus of the passage c, and when open tits closely against a beveled seat, c, formed in the inner end of a bushing, F, through which the stem of valve D works, the stem fitting closely in the central opening in this bushing. The valve D is also provided with a radially winged spider, d, on its inner end, which lits closely in the passage a, and thereby guides the valve truly to its seals, while at the same time the pressing-liquid is permitted to llow freelyinto the cylinder when the valve is open. The valve stem passes closelythrough the annular bushing F, which lits snugly in a cylin- Adrical openinginaboss formed onthe outerside of the conduit. rlhis bushing has formed on it an external annular shoulder, e, which sets against aninternal shoulder, f, projecting into the opening` in which the bushing rests. In the outerend ot' this bushing Fis formed a central circular recess or depression, g, internally shouldered at It, this central depression surrounding the valvestem, as shown. Into this circular reccssg is placed an extcrnallyshonldered packing-ring, G, adapted to closely lit the valve-stem. rlhis packingring is made a little smaller in diameter than the depression g in the bushing, and therefore lits loosely therein, and its external shoulder rests on the internal shoulder, h, projecting into the recess, the smaller portion of this annular packingring being of such a length as not to reach IOC quite to the bottom of the depression' g, for a purpose to be presently stated. It will thus be seen that a small space is left between the outer walls of this annular packing ring and the inner wall of the depression in the bushing, and also that the external shoulder onthe packing-ring rests snugly against the internal shoulder iu the depression.

The bushing is pressed closely to its seat f, and thepackingringis also held tightly against its seat h in the bushing by means ofa gland, H, rmly and strongly bolted to the boss on the conduit and pressing directly on the outer end of the packing-ring, and through the inediuni of a thin packing-ring, I, upon the bushing Falso. This gland H is perforated centrally for the passage of the stem of the valve, (which it embraces closely,) and is provided with a circular raised portion, 7c, on its inner face, which raised portion fits in a similarlyshaped recess in the face of the boss on the conduit and presses against the packing-rings I and G, as shown clearly in Figs. 2and 3. By means ofthis gland it is evident that the packings and bushing may always be kept tightly and closcl y to their seats.

The valveis advanced and recedcd by means of a screw, J, which is journaled in a bracket, K, bolted to the gland I-I. The stem of the valve is provided with a central longitudinal screw-threaded recess, into which the screw J extends, the screw being kept in perfect alignment with the said recess in the valve by means of the aforesaid bracket K. The screw is squared at its outer endto permit of the use of a key-crank or wrench in operating the valve, and is provided with collars Z Zon each side of the bearing in the bracket to prevent its longitudinal movement. It will be ob` served that when the screw J is turned in one direction the valve will be advanced to its seat over the passage a, and when it is turned in the opposite direction it will be drawn back to its beveled seat c inv the inner end of the bushing F. When the valve is drawn back or receded, as shown in Fig. 3, the outer beveled face of the doublebeveled head E will fit closely against the beveled seat c inthe bushing, and thereby serve to relieve and protect the packing-rings when the liquid is under pressure in the conduit, the beveled surface of the head fitting the beveled seat so closely and truly as to prevent the liquid from forcing itself in around the stem. lIhe pressure on the inner end of the valve-stem when it is drawn out will serve to assist in keeping the beveled head tightly against its -scat in the bushing, as is evident.

When the valve is advanced to its seat over the passage a, so as to cut off one of thecylinders from the main conduit, and the liquid is forced in under very heavy pressure, should the liquid force itselfin around the stern of the valve and into the small space between the packing-ring G and the bushing, it will serve as a water-packing, and will have a V.tendency the press shall run; or, in other words, when a-press is built of a certain capacity it must always be run under that capacity or not at all. Now, therefore, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a press that may be readily adapted to either light or heavy pressing, as the eXigencies of the case may require. Thus should it be desired to adapt the press to light and quick pressing any number of the cylinders may be cut off from the main conduit, according to the degree of pressure desired. The advantages to be derived from this provision are veryimportant, as very frequently in pressing cotton for shipment a shipper does not desire the cotton pressed very heavily, but only wishes the bales reduced to a certain degree of density. With the presses now in use this cannot be done; but by providing the press with my invention the desired pressureupon the bales may be obtained. It is also obvious that when one or more of the cylinders are shut off the press may be operated more rapidly `and with a proportionately smaller quantity of pressing-liquid and steam, thus eiecting a great saving and rendering it 'possible to do the pressing at a smaller cost to the shipper. It will also be perceived that a saving will be effected in the consumption of fuel, as the irernan may charge the furnace with just the necessary amount of fuel and no more. As all the cylinders may be capable of exerting a certain determined pressure, it is evident that the capacity of the press may be readily regulated or reduced to the desired degree.,`

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is y 1. The combination of the vertical cylinders A, the conduit B, surrounding the cylinders and communicating therewith by means of horizontal independent passages a, the horizontal valves D, working in enlarged chambers bin the said conduit and adapted to close the said independent passages a, these valves being provided with radially-winged spiders d, which serve to guide them to their seats, a

removable bushing inserted in a recess in the conduit, a packing-ring inserted in the bushing, and a gland bolted to the conduit, substantially as described.

2. rIhe combination of a conduit provided with a lateral passage, a, this conduit being providedwith an internallyshouldered recess opposite the said passage a, an internally and externally shouldered bushing, F, inserted in IOO the shouldered recess in the conduit, this bushing being provided with a bevel-seat, c, in its inner end, a shouldered packing-ring, G, in-

H, bolted to the conduit and adapted to press directly against the said packing I and packingring G, and means for operating the valve serted in the bushing F, a Valve, D, passing D, substantially as herein described. 5 through the packing and bushing and Working in an enlarged chamber, b, in the conduit, this valve being provided with a double-beveled head, E, adapted to alternately seat itself Vitnesses: over the passage a and against the bevel-seat C. D. DAVIS, 1o o in the bushing, a packing, I, and a gland, l JOHN S. FINOH, Jr.

In testimony whereof` I afx my signature in 15 presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS MILLER. 

